Nerdy Houston Wedding Photographer

Carrie & Jeremy’s Downtown Houston Engagement Portraits

February 25, 2020

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of stealing Jeremy & Carrie’s sole, I mean taking their engagement photos (wink) at a downtown Houston bar.

It was the day after valentines day and Carrie and Jeremy were celebrating the holiday that day. Carrie bought Jeremy a new Astros jersey to wear for the engagement portraits and Jeremy’s brother was there to sneak around in the background of our photos. I love the goofy vibe I got from the two as I was taking their photos.

Jeremy told me he was uncomfortable in front of cameras, which I totally understand. At one point he joked that every shutter click was causing him pain. I asked if I was stealing his sole, he joked that I was just a little bit every time, though Carrie has been steeling his sole just a little bit with her picture taking too. lol

How did they meet?

We both worked at a bar and I yelled at him the first time I met him. Then he invited me up for drinks one night, he will tell you he went for a high 5 instead of a kiss, but after that the rest was history.

It was only fitting that we were able to take Jermey & Carrie’s engagement portraits in a bar in downtown Houston. I had so much fun exploring the bar and it’s surroundings all while learning more about Jeremy and Carrie. Jeremy is a HUGE Astros fan, so we were able to incorporate some baseball into their photos. I love that Jeremy and Carrie recreated their first kiss for me to photograph.

Thanks for the fun and laughs, Jeremy & Carrie.

Wedding Photography – Detail Checklist

February 18, 2020

It’s nearly here, your wedding day, are your ready? It’s okay, no one is truly ready. There is always some last minute things you need to get. I today’s blog, I am going to break down a wedding photography detail check-list.

First, I wanted to break down how some photographers go about taking detail photography. Usually the detail photos happen very early on your wedding day. It’s one of the first things a photographer does when they get to your venue.

We take a few shots of the wedding dress hanging up. If they are available, we add your bridesmaids dresses to the mix. Then we start adding elements and taking elements away. Next shoes, veil. Remove the dress and just shoot the shoes and veil… and so on. The movement (if you consider taking detail photos as a ballet) is very liquid. We work with what we have.

So how can you have everything ready so the photographer can knock those photos out (wham-bam-thank you-ma’am)?

Download our checklist.

The Carriage House Wedding Photography

February 11, 2020

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of being a Carriage House Wedding photographer in Conroe, TX.

I was in awe of the venue. It is so open and has so many unique places to take photos. If your style is more light and airy, like mine, the bridal suite is spacious and bright and the chapel is AMAZING! Also, that red door is so much fun!

The dark wood of the main building works well to make white wedding dresses stand out.

I must circle back to the bridal suite. As a wedding photographer, The Carriage House does a phenomenal job with this room!! It had several seats in front of mirrors for all of your bridesmaids, 2 swivel chairs in front of mirrors for your hair and makeup artist to work at, and I heard someone saying they use the connected room as a place for the couple to have a quiet dinner alone (if they want).

Though it was cold and drizzly, everyone had so much fun, and the photos are amazing!

Vendors:

Venue: The Carriage House

Makeup: Hair by Alyx

Hair: Alexis Katherinee & Laliita Le Stylist

Dresses: The Princess Bridal

Flowers: Inheritance Floral Designs & Events

Design: C + M Designs

Linens: Events to Remember

Food/Drink: Jo’s Mini Mobile Bar, Alchemy Bake Lab, Gelato Joy

Check out my Carriage House wedding photography.

Wedding Good Luck Charmes

February 4, 2020

I was reminded of something a mother-of-the-bride said to me a few years as I was taking Emily & Jacob’s engagement photos with a dragonfly hovering in the picture. Last year, while taking Dallis’s bridal portraits, a dragonfly landed on the her dress. Her mom said not to move it and to take a picture of it on her dress because dragonfly’s were lucky. I looked into it, they aren’t only lucky they represent prosperity.

That got me thinking, what other things are considered lucky for weddings?

Rain – in some cultures, rain on your wedding day is considered good luck, symbolizing fertility and cleansing.
A sixpence in your shoe (or cuff links, or wherever)
Horseshoe – usually given as a gift to the couple
Burying bourbon – bury bourbon at your wedding location exactly 1 month before your wedding. After the ceremony, the couple dig it back up & cheers to the beginning of a new life. (I could get behind this tradition!)
Ladybugs, dragonfly’s, butterfly’s – Can you imagine releasing a bunch of ladybugs at your wedding? That could be so cute!
Sky Lanterns – Symbolizing good luck and prosperity, the launching of sky lanterns is a highly anticipated ritual during many Asian wedding ceremonies. I love sky lanterns. They are gorgeous, and make for stunning photos.
Paper cranes – Cranes are believed to mate for life and are a symbol of long life, happiness and good luck. If you are going to have paper cranes, make sure to fold 1,000 of them! 1,000 cranes equals one wish for whoever folds them.

What are your thoughts on good luck charm’s at weddings? Drop me a message below. I would love to hear your thoughts.

The Carriage House

January 28, 2020

Today, I wanted to highlight an amazing wedding venue, The Carriage House in Conroe Texas. I had the pleasure of poking around, talking to their wonderful staff and taking some photos of the Carriage House last Wednesday. It is such a stunning location. Every time I turned around I found a new favorite location to take photos of wedding couples.

I asked Anna & Kristi a few questions that I thought might be helpful in your wedding planing process. Check out their answers and some photos from their venue.

QUESTIONS:

Kelly: Who is the point person for couples coming to your venue?

Anna: Myself and Kristi are typically the couple’s point of contact when they come to tour. We do have other staff they would have on their wedding day and they will hear from the owner via email throughout the planning process.

Anna

Kristi

K: That’s pretty awesome that the owner sends a personal email!

K: What is the best way for couples to schedule an appointment to tour your venue?

A: We have a self scheduling function on our website, but we are happy to schedule them as well via email or phone.

K: What is your personal favorite part about the venue.

A: The Chapel, which is our newest addition.

K: What is the most unique/fun/creative thing you have seen at a wedding at your venue?

A: That’s a tough one! I’ve seen so many unique ideas. We did have one couple, they were both engineers, and they used a 3D printer to create some items to incorporate into their centerpieces.

K: What is your rain contingency?

A: We have both an outdoor and indoor ceremony area and the reception space is indoors.

K: Do you have a max and a minimum guest count?

A: 75-300 people is the best range!

K: How far in advance should couples book your venue?

A: A year and a half if they want a Saturday. A year still works well for Fridays and Sundays.

K: What makes your venue unique to other venues.

A: The chapel and the waterfront garden.

A: I’ve been here for several years and have seen how the company keeps striving to make wedding days better and better with each passing year! That’s defiantly something to look for in your venue.

The Perfect time to have an outdoor wedding, according to a Wedding Photographer

January 21, 2020

“When should I get married. What is the best time for lighting during my outdoor wedding?”

This is a question I hear a lot when talking with wedding couples. Generally they’re still a little early in on their planing process and (God bless them) worried about the lighting for their wedding and proceeding portraits.

First, I want to thank each and every single bride and/or groom who is voicing this concern, or even reading this article. Thank you for making our jobs, as the wedding photographer, easier. It’s eminently harder to take outdoor wedding photos when the

sun has already set. Trust me, I’ve been there.

As an outdoor wedding photographer in the Houston area, I tend to photograph a lot of outdoor weddings. Go figure, lol. It’s my favorite type of wedding. Minus a month or so in August and a month or so in January or February when it’s too hot or too cold, Houston pretty much has an ideal climate for year-round outdoor weddings. Even so, I find myself photographing outdoor weddings year-round even during the more harsh times of year.

To answer the question, ‘When is the best time to get married?’ First you must consider the time of year and the direction your wedding will be held. Imagine yourself standing at the alter with your love saying “I do.” Now imagine your wedding photographer and the background they’ll have taking those precious photos.

Make sure the sun isn’t setting in your face, but behind it. That means the sun is setting behind your officiant. If it’s setting in the opposite direction, you’ll have squinty eyes, harsh shadows and interesting coloration in your photos.
For the love of all things holy, avoid a High-Noon wedding! If you insist on having an earlier wedding (and there are many good reasons to do this) either have the wedding ceremony an hour or two before or after noon. Again, consider the angle of the sun during your outdoor ceremony. There is very little we can do, aside from pulling out a flash to putting you under a tree to work with the harsh shadows from noon.
If you’re having an outdoor wedding during the golden hour (which falls during civil dusk), make sure you give yourself enough time to take portraits after your wedding before the light is gone.

I use this sun graph all the time when I’m trying to figure out when to set up engagement portraits, bridal portraits and when clients ask me when is the best time for them to have their outdoor wedding.

To use this graph, hover your mouse (or finger) over the graph and move it around, you will see the date below in pink changes. When you get to your preferred date, click on the graph. I have mine set to 1/21/2020. You’ll see (if you are looking at the same date) that night starts at 7:12pm. If you were taking photos outside today, you should be totally done by this time and inside, hopefully eating! You have between 5:49 pm to 7:12 pm to take awesome sunset photos during and after your outdoor wedding ceremony.

Was this helpful? Leave a comment below to let me know how helpful this was, or if you have more questions about when to start your outdoor wedding.

Sion & Niomi’s Winter Cross Key Acres wedding in Richmond, Texas

January 7, 2020

A few days before Christmas, Sion & Niome married under swaying oak trees at the Cross Key Acres wedding venue. The weather was a bit balmy and the sun refused to appear from behind it’s blanket of clouds, but spirits were high.

The music began and Niomi’s daughters walked the aisle with joyful tears in their eyes. After the 3 adorable flower girls walked the isle, came Niomi. Sion beamed at his bride. He looked like the happiest man in the world at that moment.

Sion & Niome had a hand washing ceremony, assisted by Niome’s daughter, then they said their vows and kissed under the oak trees.

Everyone was ready to party well into the night. There was dancing of all kinds, including a dollar dance with both the bride and the groom. Everyone got in on the fun and managed to get a dance with one or both of the happy couple.

The couple ended the night with a bubble exit and headed out to continue partying well into the night.

Vendors:

Venue: Cross Key Acres

Flowers: Made by the Bride

The End of a Decade

December 31, 2019

I can’t believe 2019 has already come and gone! It has been such a whirlwind year for me and my wedding photography business.

2019 marked the first full year of my rebrand. I was concerned about the slow pick up at the beginning of the year, but things quickly improved.

We shot a total of 5 weddings, 6 engagement portrait sessions a few random sessions and endless family portraits. There were a few bumps in the road, as there always is, but we managed through. This year was my first attempt at scheduling and shooting a styled shoot. I enjoyed it immensely. So much so that I am already scheduled to do another one next month and have 2 or 3 ideas to work out as well.

Tristan started Kindergarten this year. We learned a lot about where he lands on the bell curve for reading and math. Andy started a new job this year that he has really enjoyed and that has allowed him to go places he never would have imagined. This year, I started my creep toward becoming a full time photographer.

I can’t wait to see what 2020 will bring!

From my family to yours, have a fun, prosperous and most importantly happy 2020.

Pretty-n-Peach Wedding Style-Shoot

December 10, 2019

As we round out the end of 2019, I had the pleasure of organizing my very first styled shoot.

A peach and berry color pallet for your wedding will have all of your guests mouths watering.

You’ve got the ring and maybe a date, now you can pull some inspiration from our richly warm and delicious color pallet and designs. This shoot embodies a warm, open bride who’s carefree and loves the little things in life. Don’t just stop to smell the roses, but the fruit as well.

Vendors:

Venue: White oaks on the Bayou

Wedding Dress: The Princess Bridal

Wedding Flowers: Casa De Flower

Wedding Cake: Dolly’s Sweet Sensations

Wedding Linens & Design: W.E.L.L. Planned Events

Wedding Hair/Makeup: Aura Rosa Artistry

Invitations: J.Lorriane

Rhett & Rachel’s Historical George Ranch Wedding in Richmond, Texas

November 19, 2019

I was over the moon when first Sarah (Rachel’s twin) then Rachel reached out to me to have me photograph her wedding. I have known both Rachel and Sarah since middle school, when we played soccer together as well as attended several soccer and band camps together. It was like an amazing blast from the past, and fitting that the meeting would take place at a historical ranch.

The wedding day arrived and the weather was beautiful, thank God because it was pretty bad 2 days before. My Dad (The reason I’m a photographer) was given the honor of second wedding photographer shooter. He had an even more emotional reaction to hearing I was going to shoot Rachel’s wedding. My Dad was, after all, our soccer coach all of those years ago.

The music began, and the wedding party entered the historical wedding chapel. Once everyone was tucked into their places, the doors were closed as we waited on pins and needles for the bride and her father to enter. When the doors opened, we were greeted by Rachel and her father. A light I’ve never seen in Rachel’s eyes before shone so bright it lit the whole chapel.

The ceremony was filled with laughter and happy tears. Rhett and Rachel had a sweet little sand ceremony before they were announced Man and Wife. At the very end, before the happy couple made their grand exit, the bride’s Grandmother had the honor of ringing the church bell.

After the ceremony, there were so many interesting things to entertain guests. Half of the wedding party were LSU fans, so the bride and groom had a projector set up so the guests could watch the LSU/Alabama game. There was a man by an old wagon showing people how to brand wood, and a fake bull was set up so people could try their hand at roping. Guests also had the opportunity to jump on a hay-ride (sans the hay) around the property to look at all of the historical houses.

Vendors

Venue: The George Ranch Historical Park

Flowers: Tenacious Leaf

Carrie & Jeremy’s Downtown Houston Engagement Portraits

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of stealing Jeremy & Carrie’s sole, I mean taking their engagement photos (wink) at a downtown Houston bar.